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We both laugh. “Okay. I’m going. I’ll call you later.”
“Have fun.” I call over my shoulder to her as she leaves out the way she came in.
“You, too.” She says, and then I hear the door close.
I spend the next hour making all the pastries I’m going to need before the shop opens. My employee, Chloe, will be here soon to help with the morning rush.
Throughout the day, I think about what Grace said about living like an old lady, but I don’t agree. I have a full life. My business, my neighbors, Grace, and even Wilbur. Why would I need anyone else?
CHAPTER 2
HUDSON
Today’s the day. I’m switching stations from station fifteen, where I’ve spent most of my career as a firefighter paramedic, to station eleven where I’m the new lieutenant of C-shift. I’m excited to learn about a new station and to get to know my new crew. In the past I’ve covered shifts every once in a while at station eleven, but now I’ll be there full time. It could turn into a pissing match if we all don’t mesh, but I’m not expecting anything like that to happen. The men at my new station seem like good guys. Hell, a few of them are life-long friends of mine.
“Pepper. Time to go to work.” I call out to my English Mastiff, who is the laziest dog on the planet. At least until you have a cookie in your hand, or she feels like you’re being threatened.
Then, watch out.
I watch her slide off the master bed, stretch herself long, and then shake everything back into place. She yawns and then trots out the door to the garage and into my truck with her tail held high. “Make sure you take your time, Pepper. We wouldn’t want to be early or on time on my first day at station eleven, now do we?” She doesn’t seem to get my sarcasm.
I close the door and climb into the driver’s side. “Let’s go to Grandma’s.” I pull out and drive down the street to my mother’s house.
Is it weird I live down the street from my mother? I don’t think so. I like to be close in case she needs me. It’s been just mom and me ever since my dad died twenty-five years ago. We take care of each other and if anyone thinks that’s weird, then they can just move right along.
Pulling my truck into her driveway, I see she’s already outside waiting for her only grandchild, Pepper the mastiff. Pepper whines and moves back and forth in the backseat, trying to figure out how to get out to see her, hopefully, second favorite person in the world.
I open the door and she flies out and over to my mother, who promptly gives her a cookie. “You spoil her, mom.”
“You say that every time you bring her over here.”
“Well, you do.”
“Go to work, son, and have a good shift. I’ll see you in the morning.” Mom kisses me on the cheek.
“You two have fun today.” I call over my shoulder as I walk back to my truck. As I back out of my mother’s driveway, I watch Pepper and my mom go inside the house. I notice some palm trees have some dead palm fronds in her front and side yards.
Looks like I’m doing some landscaping tomorrow morning when I pick up Pepper.
I pull my truck into the parking lot at station eleven and see the off-going shift scrambling to get the trucks cleaned from their shift and the on-coming shift getting their stuff into the trucks so that they’re ready when the next call comes in.
From the bed of my truck, I pull out my bunker gear, helmet, overnight bag, and boots, and carry them into the station.
“Hey LT. How’s it going?” The rescue guy from the other shift asks me as I walk into the station house.
“How’s it going, John?” I answer as I make my way to the back of the station where the bunk room is located.
“Hey LT. Wrong room. Officers get their own room here. Next door.” Kane, one of my new shift partners, calls out as he points to another door. We’re also best friends. Have been since elementary school.
I poke my head in the room and see it has one bed and a desk. “No thanks. I’d rather bunk with everyone. We can put the loudest snorer in there.” Plunking my gear on the bed in the farthest corner, I turn to the other guys on my shift. “Everyone good with that?”
Kane, Chance, and Ricardo are standing by their bunks, watching me. They’re trying to decide if I’m going to be a hardass or a cool lieutenant. I’d like to think I’m cool, but we’re about to find out what the gallery thinks.
Chance looks at the other two and then back at me. “Works for me. You?” He points to the others.
Kane nods, and Ricardo shrugs. “Fine by me,” Ricardo says in a heavy Hispanic accent.
“Great.” I settle my stuff on the bed, grab my gear, and head out to the trucks. “I’m going to go talk to the off going shift.”
